Treatment of copper ores bearing precious metals.



. minion coiam 1 i s'broyng. 'the S-Si TS GLANCE? METALS PRUCES A CRBSRATION 0F YORK.

TREATMENT F COPPER GRES BEAR-TG PRECOUS METALS.

be oming a oiizen of the United States, ai p1" ,ding ai New oi; City, borough of '-'anha-z aan, in the oouiiy of New Yoi'k and Siate of New Yoiir., invented oei'- tzxin new and useful mprovorfiens in he Tiaa'men of Cop; @res Bearing Peoious Metals. of Whih 2o oiowimg is d specificoion.

My invention reang opper a es; to nove mehods of S bearing 1h@ precious meais, 'which met, ds'm'o pzuiiculuriy do soibod pozi ont in o foowng specicaio and cams. @fared that H19 Hrociims mot-:iis ci; mam cof; 1-i,.'ous ores by ibo ieanientof Suoi orsi with o, cyniii Sofhe addoi .-1 $373,212 L ,im Coppo? from @mourning die (J5/'amid'. @fis-. is io say, he function of the oyanamd os-iisg bo form a insoiu'oie compound with copper, coppe?? oyanomid oomposmc so formed soluble in thoog'gcess of ojy'zl'nid 'wlthouz 'uid solution. The oyanici soiuzon can ai ax-1y time be fegnemted and. lsef sig o soivoiiby procipiatig the Coppo? Hom die solution,

My iscoery inoiues the very astouncing fasi, that when zoppo? oro oi a copper compound is dissolved by a cyaid solution Containing a cyanamid, the coppa' is noi: precipitac by formof metoc or ohez' oectro-pogiivo mefai Whiie the precious momia are mesi imfe by the zinc to the exclusion ofthe gasa* metal it is therefore obvious hatho cyanid oyanamid souton' maybe used oveffond wel" again o. peoious metzi soiven, b'ore oi' ao? piecipihiing out iis Copper contents.

The destructive action of 'copper coni- Ilouuds upon i/amid. solutions be shown,

plosout in tho imniediaoiy this @oppor iw tha This rS-.ic'tioii probabiy miic-s piace ao? the oiiofing equiiiiions:

The ins complex compound is u solvent ifm' he px'ecious metals :md Coppel" com pounds. The compound (nCuCNznKCN) gives up all its KSN on addiion of ammonia or an ammonia mii, Such, for ei;- impe, an .NHC 'behaving double cyanid of Coppel' and ammonia, ihm:

is, .bfemtes CN zand'he cuprm'nmonium ion 'Yo-Hago is suicien to transfer he zmodio Coppo? o viiie cuxodfc? dwing which rzmsfer regeneration 'the Symiid oks piaoe. The .i'esemo of Sui'ocyanid in ibo oiton acts s im mixiiisiy o 1:11@ ogeieation cyaii. si Lim ti'en'iment of Coppe? suid ores the piooess Work `as avazlageousiy as in the fenmen of oxicizeci copper ores.

i.; may be sad hm; a high misent dosity f fue used in the deposi'on of' the copper om 'hsfsou'rioii Wiouc estivi? ing the Solution zm at the same. time cutting down the expanse of img@ insfoiiaion 'foi' oieoioiyzes in the copper deposiilion.

@no way of carrying my invention into foi' example, potassium or sodium oyaiii, amd a oyanamd such, foi example, as cab umcyanamifi. Dii'orent ores .if-@quizo ii 'een s'szigihs of soiuion eiiyoye im@ those must be asi'zertaine by peimina tesis. in practico with cei'sixi oms have found the following pioportion zo answer weil tile purpose of tho promos: pounds puiverized orf; mspeiide in Souion of wo pounds Soii...o1 cyziili, wo pounds calcium cysmaniid and wo 'pounds ximo in 2,000 pollus of waaier. The whole mixture which i5 in die moporlion of Suosanhaiy our pui'i of sur?. Solution to one 1.2 mixture oi'o sin@ s-:iilniioix is continu-- exactiy as a .nu behaves' vthe solution is passed over zinc shavings or dust to precipitate its preciousrnctal contents While the copper is held in solution by lreason of the cyanamid. This solution is used over and over again or, it thought l necessary, passed through an electrolyzer to precipitate its copper contents. The percentageloi" copper in the solution Will determine when the solution is ready to be robbed of its copper contents. However, this copper cyanalnid solution is an excellent solvent for. the precious metals as well as for copper compounds. y

Having thus described lrny invention and examples of different Ways of carrying` it into efect, it will be understood that various niodications and changes in the described processes may be made and equivalent substances may be ernployedwithout departing from the spirit 'of n iy invention and Without exceeding the scope of my claims.

'What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. The process` of. treating copper ores rwhich consists of subjecting the ore to the action of a cyanid solution containing a soluble cyananiid.

2. The process of treating copper ores containing precious metals Which consists in subjecting the ore to the action of a cyanid solution containing a soluble cyanarnid. y

3.. The process of treating copper cyanid solutions containing; precious metals which consists in the addition of a cyznamid to the said solution for the purpose ot' retaining the copper in solution While the-precious metals are precipitated by zinc or nascent hydrogen to the cxclnsi on of the baser nietal.

4. The process of treating copper orcs containing precious metals, .which consists in subjecting the ore to the action ol a cyanid solution containinpr a soluble cyananiid, and electrolyzing the solution for the recovery of the copper.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto Signed my name in the presence of two subscribing` Witnesses.

JOHN COLLNS CLANCY. `Witncsses M. .l MCNINCH, E. M Locnwoon. 

